We have seen that endometriosis is associated with infertility. What is more, we know that the symptoms of the disease, typically, improve during pregnancy. Is the disease, however, associated with direct effects on the pregnancy itself? Unfortunately, in the literature, there is a paucity of high-quality data answering this topic clearly. Τhere have been rare case reports of serious complications…
Other than the 3 types of disease, we also have stages of endometriosis. As we now know, endometriosis is a heterogeneous disease and, therefore, staging of endometriosis is not always an easy task. This is why there are, up to this date, more than one staging systems of endometriosis. The 3 most commonly used are: Stage Findings I: Minimal (1-5)…
Endometriosis is typically associated with pelvic pain (in the region below the belly button). To further examine this, we need to remember the 3 types of the disease. In ovarian endometriomas, pain is encountered in 80% of cases1, whilst most women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) present with severe pain1. However, in superficial peritoneal lesions (SUP), things are less clear.…
There is no commonly accepted aetiology of the disease. Endometriosis is a complex, heterogeneous and multifactorial disease, in which are involved hormonal, genetic, environmental and immunologic factors. The most likely theories are: What is more, the disease could be associated with the following: In conclusion, it is not very clear what causes endometriosis. It is likely to be a combination…
Endometriosis is the benign disease, where endometrial-like tissue is found in places other than the uterus1. Possible locations include the ovaries, fallopian tubes, peritoneum( the thin membrane that covers the pelvic organs), bowel, urinary tract (urinary bladder and ureters), as well as less common locations (such as nerves, diaphragm, abdominal wall, lungs). This hormone-sensitive disease (sensitive to oestrogens) affects around…
Endometriosis is a disease that often (and always in its deep form) causes distortion in the normal pelvic anatomy due to formation of adhesions1. This means that the disease itself as well as every effort to remove lesions laparoscopically can jeopardise organs such as the bowel, the bladder, the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder) etc.…
We recognise 3 types of endometriosis. Of note, the 3 types are based on anatomic criteria (so to say, where the lesions of endometriosis are located), therefore, there is not always a clear correlation between the type of the disease and the type or severity of symptoms.
There is some evidence suggesting that endometriosis is an inherited disease: the risk of disease is 6-9% higher in 1st-degree relatives of women suffering from endometriosis1,2(The risk increases to 15% in cases of severe endometriosis3,4). In twin sisters, the frequency and age of onset of the disease are similar5. However, the identification of the genetic factors associated with the disease…
The focus in the modern management of endometriosis, in the recent years, has been shifted towards the creation of teams of healthcare professionals with expertise in the management of the disease, in a patient-centred approach1. Although each endometriosis centre may have a different team structure, we suggest a team that consists of an endometriosis surgeon, a colorectal surgeon, a urologist,…
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